Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Breaking down what happens now that Lions WR Jameson Williams is being reinstated early from his suspension
Jameson Williams is no longer a prisoner of the NFL’s archaic gambling policy. Williams is a free man who will be reinstated on Monday after serving four games of his original six-game suspension for violating the league’s gambling rules.
The Free Jamo campaign paid off, and that’s great. But what exactly do these new developments mean for Williams and the Lions?
Here are some answers to a few pertinent questions surrounding the return of Jameson Williams.
Williams will be reinstated on Monday, per numerous reports, and be eligible to play in Week 5
Jameson Williams will be back on the field the next time we see the Detroit Lions. According to multiple reports, the NFL is modifying its policy on gambling and will end Williams’ suspension after four games.
Williams was originally suspended for six games back in April for violating the league’s policy on gambling and betting. The league has decided to change the policies that Williams and another player, Tennessee offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere, were in violation of and suspended. Both players will be reinstated on Monday, two weeks earlier than expected.
Williams returned to the Lions facilities on Monday as part of the original suspension terms. He was still not allowed to practice or participate in meetings, however. Now he will be free to become activated and a full participant in all team activities including the Week 5 matchup in Carolina with the Panthers.
Ragnow was recognized for his charitable work involving grieving families
It’s always cool to see the Detroit Lions players be more than just guys who strap on pads and play football. The players are very involved in giving back to the local communities, both in Detroit and their hometowns. One Lions player was honored for his selfless charitable acts.
Center Frank Ragnow was named the NFLPA’s Community MVP for Week 4 by the player’s union. The Pro Bowl center was recognized for taking eight families suffering from recent losses of loved ones out on a fishing trip in Lake St. Clair near Detroit, in conjunction with a local hospice center.
Ragnow, an avid angler and outdoorsman, also gave personal fishing lessons and equipment to the 16 kids on the trip.
“Thank you to the NFLPA for recognizing me as the Week 4 Community MVP,” Ragnow said via the NFLPA. “It’s a great honor to be recognized for the work I have been doing with my nonprofit, The Rags Remembered Foundation.”
X-rays are negative for Lions DB Brian Branch and his injured ankle, who left Thursday night’s win in Green Bay twice
The Lions beat the Packers on Thursday night 34-20, but that’s not even the best news from their dominating win. The fact that Brian Branch didn’t suffer a long-term injury is even better news for the Lions and their fans.
In the third quarter, Branch was looking to make a play while trying to defeat the block from a Packers wide receiver but instead fell to the ground and held his ankle. When walking off the field, he barely could put pressure on it.
Brian Branch as the primary target in coverage vs. the Packers
27 snaps
4 targets
3 receptions allowed
27 yards allowed
1 forced incompletion
0 first downs allowed— PFF DET Lions (@PFF_Lions) September 29, 2023
Once Branch got to the sideline, he was carted to the locker room, a sign that the Lions may have lost another defensive back due to injury. The hope was that it wasn’t an Achilles tear or anything of that nature. Branch came back to the field after being looked at by trainers and his ankle got a heavy tape job.
In fact, Branch even came back to play in the fourth quarter. However, while trying to make a tackle, it looked like he had tweaked his ankle more. Shortly after, his night came to an end. Fortunately, Branch spoke to the media after the game and said his X-ray came back negative and nothing was broken.
🚨 Lions Brian Branch: Injury Update! 🏈
Brian Branch, key to Lions’ defense, went down with a ankle injury. 😱🦁
Branch went to the locker room but is now back on the sideline being taped up.
Will he make it for Thursday Night Football against the Packers? 🤔 #NFL #NFLNEWS… pic.twitter.com/mWIr6ihSAn— Gameday Blitz (@TheGamedayBlitz) September 29, 2023
During the postgame press conference, head coach Dan Campbell said that “it’s good news that he was able to come back out there.” Campbell insisted that we’ll know more about Branch’s ankle later on Friday.
If I had to guess, it’s a high ankle sprain and the recovery time will be based on the severity of the injury. Lucikly for Branch and the Lions, they get 10 days to prepare for their next game against the Carolina Panthers.
Breaking down the best and worst PFF grades from the Detroit Lions in their Week 4 win over the Packers
First place in the division feels pretty nice. It’s been six years since the Detroit Lions laid claim to the lead in the NFC North, a spot they secured with a 34-20 whooping of the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night.
The Lions physically dominated their Green Bay counterparts for most of the game. That domination is largely reflected in the Pro Football Focus grades for the game for both the players and the team itself.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was not happy with his team’s effort in “getting whooped” by the Lions on Thursday night
Postgame locker rooms for a losing team are never a pleasant place to be. Players are sullen, exhausted, often edgy about the loss and sometimes quite angry. The coaches of the losing teams typically keep things collected and save the tongue-lashing and visible frustration for when the cameras and reporters are gone, however.
That was not what happened in Green Bay after Thursday night’s 34-20 road win by the Lions. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was animatedly angry with the performance of his team, which fell behind 27-3 and was nearly run into nearby Lake Michigan by the visitors from Detroit.
LaFleur was quick to give the Lions credit in his postgame press conference, and he started out by sprinkling in some praise for his team’s better performance in the second half.
“Give Detroit a lot of credit. They came in and whooped us pretty good,” LaFleur said. “I was pleased with our team’s effort in the second half. I challenged them at halftime to just continue to go out and compete and I felt we did that. We had an opportunity; we were down 10 and we had a bad penalty to make it a three-possession game. But, every area, there’s a lot of improvement out there for us. I think any time you go out there and you can’t effectively run the football and conversely can’t stop the run, that’s a recipe for losing football and that’s what happened tonight.
Give Detroit credit. We knew they were a tough opponent, but they manhandled us really in every phase.”
The longer he talked and the more he thought about the whooping from a divisional rival, the more LaFleur’s tone changed.
“I mean, you saw it. We got our ass kicked,” LaFleur said, blood pressure visibly rising when asked about being annihilated in the first half. “If I knew, it wouldn’t have happened. It wasn’t good enough. They whipped us. They manhandled us. Again, if I knew the answer to that, it wouldn’t have happened.”
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On the Lions’ impressive win, a blissful first half, healthy returns from key players, what went wrong in the second half, and much more
The Detroit Lions beat the Green Bay Packers 34-20 on Thursday Night Football in Week 4 to take over control of first place in the NFC North. It was a game that provided an inordinate amount of mood swings for a game that wasn’t within one score after the middle of the first quarter.
Here are some quick takeaways from watching the Lions beat the Packers for the fourth straight time.
Here are some of the best photos from inside Lambeau Field in Green Bay of the Lions triumphant road trip.
Thursday night was a fun one for the Detroit Lions. They roared into Green Bay and trounced the Packers, 34-20, to kick off Week 4 around the NFL.
The win shoots the Lions to the top of the NFC North with a 3-1 record, dropping the host Packers to 2-2. Detroit had many shining moments throughout the game, notably in a first half where the Lions surged to a 27-3 lead.
Here are some of the best photos from inside Lambeau Field in Green Bay of the Lions triumphant road trip.
Lions QB Jared Goff wants the NFL to ‘keep putting us in primetime’ after Detroit’s third win on a national broadcast in the last five games
The Detroit Lions seized another victory on a Thursday night, beating the Packers in Green Bay, 34-20. It was the second Thursday night victory in the first four weeks of the season for Dan Campbell’s Lions.
After the victory, Lions quarterback Jared Goff spoke with Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network about the impressive win. Standing in front of a raucous group of Lions fans still in the stand nearly 45 minutes after the game ended, Goff savored the moment and the accomplishment a little.
Goff talked about shaking off “a bad play by me,” an interception on the game’s opening drive that led to a Green Bay field goal and an early 3-0 lead.
“We’re a really resilient group and I try to lead the charge on that,” Goff said. “When things go bad, how do you respond and get better on the next play?”
Garafolo then noted that the Lions were traditionally the “Sunday one-o’clock team,” one not worthy of the bright lights and big stage of the national broadcasts. He asked Goff if the veteran QB liked the changing into a team that has won three games in primetime in the last five overall games they’ve played, dating back to Week 18 of last season.
“We like it,” Goff said. “Keep putting us in prime time if you want. We feel good.”
The Lions stomp the Packers in Green Bay and seize 1st place in the NFC North with the 34-20 win
It’s been way too long since the Detroit Lions could say they own first place in the NFC North all by themselves. After an interesting game in Green Bay on Thursday night, it’s finally true once again.
The Lions went into Lambeau Field and beat the Packers for the second time in five weeks of action dating back to last season. Detroit prevailed 34-20 after racing out to a huge 27-3 halftime lead and then taking their foot off the gas, not to mention the Packers’ necks, in the second half to let the Packers make it a game.
The first half might have been the most dominant, mot enjoyable half of Lions football in memory. It was a complete mismatch, for once in favor of Detroit. The Packers managed just 21 net yards and three first downs, two of which came via Detroit penalties. On the flip side, the Lions racked up 284 total yards behind a punishing offensive line display and sharp, aggressive play from QB Jared Goff.
And then came the second half. Between a passive defense, listless offense and some suboptimal officiating, the Lions allowed the Packers to come back and keep things interesting. It was 27-17 before the Lions reawakened and finally put the game away with CB Jerry Jacobs’ second interception of the night.
David Montgomery rushed for 121 yards and three touchdowns to lead the offense. Aidan Hutchinson paced the defense with 1.5 sacks, four QB hits and a tackle-for-loss, along with Jacobs’ two INTs and another sack and TFL from DT Alim McNeill.
The Lions are now 3-1, dropping the Packers to 2-2. The Lions capped the 2022 season in Green Bay by winning 20-16. It’s the fourth straight overall win over Green Bay by Dan Campbell and the Lions.
